People can expect to keep paying sky-high prices to fly to WA towns after the state's tourism minister revealed an inquiry into the cost of regional airfares had failed to come up with any solutions to the problem.
Paul Papalia says recommendations by the parliamentary inquiry, which released its final report in November, are not "earth-shattering".
"They did not provide a solution to the fundamental problem of dropping the prices to some of our regional destinations," he told reporters on Wednesday at an industry launch of a new tourism scheme.
The government wants to attract a low-cost airline to the state, he said.
Meanwhile, Tourism WA has revealed a two-year plan to bring more visitors by changing negative perceptions of Perth, and attracting more events and direct overseas flights.
It comes after new data revealed WA was the only state to not have a spike in visitor numbers in the past year.
The "cream on the top" of the strategy is the quokka selfie campaign, with Marvel superhero hunk Chris Hemsworth set to follow in the footsteps of Hollywood celebrities such as Hugh Jackman and Margot Robbie.
Hemsworth will participate as part of his obligations with Tourism Australia.
Tourism WA chair Nathan Harding said the organisation was also working to secure a highly popular, secret event for the state.
The plan follows a deal with Princess Cruises announced this week, which is predicted to inject $32 million into the state's economy with an extra 28 cruise ship visits between 2019 and 2020.
Mr Papalia said WA was suffering from a "mining boom hangover" and while hotel prices had fallen 30 per cent since the resources slump there was still a perception that they were too expensive.
He said WA was poised for a tourism boom if it could turn itself into the gateway for visitors to Australia but denied the state needed a big-ticket item like the Sydney Harbour Bridge to attract more Chinese tourists.
"Increasingly, those people who wanted to go and tick standing next to the Opera House for a photo ... they've been. What you have now is a maturing market from China," he said.
But Opposition spokeswoman Libby Mettam says the launch is all talk and no action.
She said the industry was concerned by the government's decision to scrap the Tourism WA chief executive position, which left it without the expertise needed to help the state rebound.
Australian Associated Press
